


there's too much love

by orphan_account



Category: Carol (2015)
Genre: F/F, Future Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-26
Updated: 2016-12-26
Packaged: 2018-09-12 11:39:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9069967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Rindy and Therese smoke a cigarette as Christmas slowly comes to its end.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas.

«You know you’re not allowed to smoke.» Therese whispers, and Rindy turns to her, a sloppily-rolled cigarette hanging from her mouth.

«I — » 

Therese smiles, and swiftly takes out a cigarette of her own, smiling. «Make space for me.» 

Rindy laughs quietly, and hands her lighter to Therese. She moves a little to the right, enough for Therese to take her place in front of the small window of the kitchen.

«Mom?» she asks. Since Carol quitted smoking a couple of years ago neither of them are allowed to touch cigarettes, but she knew, somehow, that Therese had a secret stash hidden somewhere (just like she did).

«Out like a light. The party wore her out.» 

Rindy hums, and takes a deep breath. The smoke mixes with the fog her breath makes in the dark, cold night, and dissipates slowly. If she concentrates she can hear a light snore come from the living room, sign her mother has surrendered to exhaustion after the exaggerate Christmas meal Therese had insisted on cooking.

«She’s getting old, isn’t she.»

Therese laughs, and bumps into her. «Watch your mouth, miss. That’s my wife you’re talking about.» she scolds her, and Rindy smiles.

Wife. How much time had it taken for them to finally admit it to her, to stop avoiding questions about the conveniently matching rings they constantly wore, to stop Therese from sneaking in the other room when morning came. Rindy had been a child, not an idiot. Their love was all over the place.

«It’s your anniversary today.» Rindy said, matter-of-fact.

Therese looks at her, smiling lazily at the memory. «Yes. The luckiest day of my life.» 

«Sometimes I wonder… » she lets the sentence hang in the air, taking another breath of her cigarette. Therese does the same, and waits for her to finish. She always was a great listener. «Sometimes I wonder what would have happened had you never met. I wonder what would have happened to me. To her.»

The air around them is suddenly heavy. Therese shifts closer to her, and circles her shoulders with her arm.

«I wonder if my parents would have gotten a divorce. If my mother would have continued that farçe of a marriage or if she would have snapped. You know, ran off with Aunt Abby or… or worse.» 

The hand around her left shoulder tightens for a second. 

«I guess we’ll never know.» Therese says, almost to herself.

«I do know something, Mama. She wouldn’t have been happy. Now she is.» 

Therese’s body relaxes smoothly, and she shifts closer. Rindy lets her head hang on her Mama’s shoulder, her warmth sheltering her from the light wind coming in from the window.

«When I met your mother, I was alone in the world. I had no one. Now I have her.» she pauses to place a kiss on Rindy’s hair, now much darker and longer than when she was a child. « And I have you. And I don’t think I could be happier. In any other life.»

Rindy hums, content. Their cigarettes are almost over now, short enough to light faintly their faces when they bring it close to their mouth. Therese’s eyes are shining. Rindy thinks it might be the alcohol, or the love and warmth she feels, too, in her stomach. She’s quite sure it’s the latter.

«Are these cigarettes I smell?» comes a voice from the other room, and Therese sighs.

«Go wash your teeth. I’ll take the blame.» 

Rindy kisses her cheek before going to the bathroom. She can hear her mother grumbling, and Therese trying to talk her way out of trouble.

She’s happy. The clock in the living room strikes twelve.

Christmas is over. She’s happy.


End file.
